A round-up of the latest Liverpool news as Anfield chiefs prioritise the transfer of a Premier League midfielder against rivalling Paris Saint-Germain to sign Joao Neves.
Mohamed Salah impresses Arne Slot with the Liverpool winger’s fitness levels
Mohamed Salah immediately impressed new Liverpool head coach Arne Slot with his fitness after reporting for pre-season training. The winger enjoyed his first session under the Dutch tactician at the AXA Training Centre this Wednesday after his slightly longer summer holiday.
Players representing their countries at the Copa America or Euro 2024 are also yet to return for pre-season at Liverpool. So, Slot is eager for Salah and Wataru Endo – who also reported back on Wednesday – to guide the academy gems taking part in first-team training sessions.
Slot is keen for Salah to be a leader for Liverpool’s academy prospects. But he also believes it will be key for the 32-year-old to use his fantastic fitness levels to stay fit over the 2024/25 season. The winger missed six Premier League games last term, his most whilst at Liverpool.
“Mo came back strong, he was really fit!” Slot told LFCTV. “That’s something that he always has been but it’s the same this year. What you want from them is to set an example for the youngsters. It’s very important just like the other ones from the first-team that they stay fit.”
Read more about what Slot has said about Salah after taking charge of Liverpool, here.
Liverpool have an ‘outstanding’ academy prospect in Marcelo Pitaluga
Conan Byrne has revealed that Liverpool academy gem Marcelo Pitaluga left the coaches at St Patrick’s Athletic stunned during training. The 21-year-old enjoyed a brief loan spell with the League of Ireland Premier Division side this year. But he did struggle to stay in the team.
Pitaluga only featured seven times before Liverpool recalled the Brazilian from St Pat’s at the start of July. He was due to remain at Richmond Park through to November. But the Reds felt the shot-stopper should return to Merseyside after falling out of their line-up back in March.
A change in manager with Stephen Kenny replacing Jon Daly did not help Pitaluga’s chances at St Pat’s. But while the former Brazil U17 international struggled to regain a role, and also struggled with coming for crosses, Pitaluga still showed ex-St Pats star Byrne his potential.
“From speaking to people within the club in training he was outstanding,” Byrne outlined to The Redmen TV. He added: “When the balls were put in on top of him, he wasn’t coming for his crosses. [But] when the ball was at his feet, you could see there was quality there.
“[He is] a bit like Caoimhin [Kelleher] at Liverpool where he’s very good with the ball at his feet and playing it out from the back. He always wanted to play out from the back.”
Read more about what Byrne has said about Liverpool academy talent Pitaluga, here.
Liverpool are more likely to sign Wolves’ Joao Gomes over Benfica’s Joao Neves
Liverpool are in the market for a new midfielder this summer but are more likely to target the Wolves star Joao Gomes over SL Benfica ace Joao Neves. That is according to Ben Jacobs, who reports that Paris Saint-Germain are the club leading the race to get Neves’ signature.
Benfica are firmly sticking to their stance that Neves’ €120m (£103m) release clause is met to sell the 19-year-old. No club is currently prepared to trigger the clause but PSG are ready to offer at least €80m (£69m). While Liverpool like Neves, they are unlikely to join that race.
Instead, Gomes is ‘one to watch’ among Liverpool’s transfer targets this summer but Wolves are also unwilling sellers. The Old Gold hope to keep the 23-year-old having only signed him in January 2023. The Flamengo product is even a fully-fledged senior Brazil midfielder now.
Read more about Liverpool’s interest in Gomes and Neves’ transfers, here.
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